"This project came about as a result of a new study carried out over two years on the major changes of our time, the integration of new habits and new technologies," said Norguet.

"It has a radical and resolutely modern approach that affords clients of the Champs-Elysées location a high-quality setting and convenience of use, on two levels inside and on the new deck outside," he added.

The famous Avenue des Champs-Elysées connects the tourist hot spots of the Tuileries gardens and the Arc de Triomphe – up to 300,000 people are thought to walk along it each day.

The boulevard boasts some of the highest rents in the French capital, and a dedicated association of shop owners who lobby for improvements, public projects, events and extended opening hours.

At the McDonald's outpost, simple materials such as concrete, sheet metal and metallic netting contrast with a ceiling mounted of light boxes covered with colourful vinyls.

Concrete was recently used by Landini Associates to overhaul another of the chain's branches in Hong Kong, created as an alternative to bright and colourful fast-food restaurants. McDonald's is also rolling out simplified new packaging this year in an attempt to change its image.

In Paris, a set of furniture specially designed for the restaurant includes high trestle tables, wooden benches topped with light-coloured cushions, and light-coloured chairs.

"The furniture coupled with great attention to detail ensures architectural cohesion and accentuates the sense of openness and lightness," said Norguet. "It's a truly novel place where the person can take his place back in this space that is more pared down, more functional and more welcoming."

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2016/03/01/patrick-norguet-novel-interior-mcdonalds-champs-elysees-paris-france/feed/4McDonald's launches "striking and in-your-face" packaging designed by Boxerhttps://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/11/mcdonalds-packaging-rebrand-boxer-fast-food-graphic-design/
https://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/11/mcdonalds-packaging-rebrand-boxer-fast-food-graphic-design/#commentsMon, 11 Jan 2016 16:00:20 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=831381McDonald's is rolling out simplified new packaging, designed by branding agency Boxer to function as a "mobile billboard" for the fast-food giant (+ slideshow). The updated carry-out bags, fountain beverage cups and sandwich boxes are launching in the US this month, and will be introduced in over 36,000 McDonald's branches throughout 2016. Bold typography in bright colours is used to cover surfaces of

]]>McDonald's is rolling out simplified new packaging, designed by branding agency Boxer to function as a "mobile billboard" for the fast-food giant (+ slideshow).

The updated carry-out bags, fountain beverage cups and sandwich boxes are launching in the US this month, and will be introduced in over 36,000 McDonald's branches throughout 2016.

Bold typography in bright colours is used to cover surfaces of the paper and card containers, paired with the company's iconic golden arches logo.

"The new look is simple, fresh and consistent with the company's vision to be a modern and progressive burger company," said a statement from McDonald's.

"Every day 69 million customers visit McDonald's around the world and this new packaging will be a noticeable change," added Matt Biespiel, senior director of global marketing.

For the rebrand, McDonald's worked with a team of designers plucked from its various consultancies, including Leo Burnett, TBWA, DDB Hong Kong, Creata and Landini, Forpeople, and Boxer.

Boxer then developed the ideas at its UK office, then passed over the project to its outpost in Chicago.

"It's a new direction for the brand, which is being modernised and made more progressive; the new packaging strategically indicates that," said Boxer's chief creative officer Paul Castledine. "Because it's dynamic and simple, the packaging almost acts as a mobile billboard."

"They've had quite a tough time but so many people love the brand, we've seen that through our research," he continued. "This has meant that we can be playful with the type and the design. It's very striking and in-your-face because people love these products."

To coincide with the release, two students from Miami International University of Art and Design were asked to create fashion accessories using the packaging.

Current student Pablo Machado and recent graduate Ricardo Hardouin were given 48 hours to produce the items.

The duo used 50 bags, 72 straws, 22 cups and eight sandwich boxes, along with rhinestones and pearls, to create the collection that includes a sun hat, a pair of straw-spiked shoes, four handbags, and a backpack.

The project followed a collaboration between McDonald's and the institution during the Funkshion Fashion Week in Miami Beach last November, for which a group of students completed a similar task.

McDonald's has committed to sourcing 100 per cent of all its fibre-based packaging from recycled or certified sources by 2020.

"We're proud of the progress we've made and initiatives like this are important to our customers who care about the planet," Biespiel said.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/11/mcdonalds-packaging-rebrand-boxer-fast-food-graphic-design/feed/21Hong Kong McDonald's pilots "an experiment in non-design"https://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/17/mcdonalds-admiralty-hong-kong-branch-landini-associates-experiment-in-non-design/
https://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/17/mcdonalds-admiralty-hong-kong-branch-landini-associates-experiment-in-non-design/#commentsThu, 17 Dec 2015 17:05:44 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=820708Concrete tables and atmospheric lighting feature inside this Hong Kong branch of McDonald's, designed by branding consultancy Landini Associates as an alternative to bright and colourful fast-food restaurants (+ slideshow). Described by the Sydney studio as "an experiment in non-design", the neutral tones of the McDonald's at Hong Kong's Admiralty station are intended to provide a more comfortable

"The intention is to hero the food, the service and the people who come to enjoy it, and to create a 'recognisable neutrality' that allows this to happen," it said.

The redesign includes the restaurant interior and kitchen layout, wall graphics, product packaging and staff uniforms.

The biggest change is the shift from a closed kitchen to an exposed cooking area. Customers are able to watch the entire process of food preparation, including the grilling of the meat and the assembling of the burgers.

Very few areas are concealed from customers, but those that need to be are screened behind a wall of precast concrete panels.

Customers can either order their food at a standard counter, at a computerised kiosk, or at the table. There is also a cold service bar for salads, deserts and drinks.

Tables feature surfaces of concrete, zinc and oak – described by the design team as a "palette of Miesian simplicity". Some are more suited to families, while others are designed for either groups or individuals.

A computerised lighting scheme changes the brightness of the space at different times.

"This calmer, more intimate solution delivers a relaxed nighttime experience for the diners and a sharper quicker one for the day," said Landini Associates.

The firm is now working on adaptions to the design to suit branches in Australia, China, Singapore and elsewhere in Hong Kong.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/17/mcdonalds-admiralty-hong-kong-branch-landini-associates-experiment-in-non-design/feed/23McDonald's restaurant by Mei Architects boasts a golden facade and a spiral staircasehttps://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/08/mcdonalds-restaurant-mei-architects-golden-facade-spiral-staircase-coolsingel-rotterdam-netherlands/
https://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/08/mcdonalds-restaurant-mei-architects-golden-facade-spiral-staircase-coolsingel-rotterdam-netherlands/#commentsMon, 08 Jun 2015 17:24:35 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=716577This McDonald's restaurant featuring a perforated golden facade and a grand spiral staircase was designed by Dutch firm Mei Architects to replace "the ugliest building in Rotterdam" (+ slideshow). Located on Coolsingel, one of the city's most popular shopping streets, the two-storey structure was conceived by Rotterdam-based Mei Architects as a golden pavilion with a facade of pixillated

]]>This McDonald's restaurant featuring a perforated golden facade and a grand spiral staircase was designed by Dutch firm Mei Architects to replace "the ugliest building in Rotterdam" (+ slideshow).

Located on Coolsingel, one of the city's most popular shopping streets, the two-storey structure was conceived by Rotterdam-based Mei Architects as a golden pavilion with a facade of pixillated imagery.

McDonald's had already occupied the site for 45 years, but until now the restaurant had been housed within a glass structure originally built in the 1960s as a cigar shop.

Rotterdam's residents previously voted the building the ugliest in the city, so the council was keen to demolish it. But McDonald's still had 40 years on the lease, so it was decided that a new building would be constructed in its place.

"Our task was to redesign the McDonald's and make it blend into its surroundings," explained studio founder Robert Winkel.

"Since the 1970s the McDonald's pavilion has been altered frequently. Its quality suffered as a result, with its mostly closed facades. This makes the space anonymous. We want to activate this space again."

The majority of its exterior is glazed, providing views through the building. This allows passersby to catch a glimpse of the white steel staircase that spirals up from the service area on the ground floor to the dining room upstairs.

Photograph by Ossip Van Duivenbode

"The new building volume has been carefully detailed and articulated to open up views of the monumental post office behind it," said the team.

"As a result, the pavilion has the most compact possible core, with glazed facades all around," the architects added. "A fully transparent lobby, with entrances on three sides, makes it seem as though the public space flows through the building."

Other parts of the facade were clad in panels of gold-anodised aluminium, dotted with small heart-shaped perforations. Together, these form a pixellated image showing a crowd of people, which also continues on the inside walls.

"As McDonald's is open day and night, 24/7, its appearance after dark is important," explained the team. "By day the building is inviting to shoppers, while in the evening it glows to attract the nightlife crowd."

Mei Architects was also tasked with improving the environment around the building. The office's main intervention was to relocate the power boxes for utilities and traffic regulation from the street to the restaurant's rooftop.

The team also created fixed outdoor seating so that diners can eat outdoors, using the same street furniture already used in some of Rotterdam's existing public spaces.

]]>https://www.dezeen.com/2015/06/08/mcdonalds-restaurant-mei-architects-golden-facade-spiral-staircase-coolsingel-rotterdam-netherlands/feed/24Côme by Patrick Norguet and Alias for McDonald'shttps://www.dezeen.com/2012/11/19/come-outdoor-furniture-by-patrick-norguet-and-alias-for-mcdonalds/
https://www.dezeen.com/2012/11/19/come-outdoor-furniture-by-patrick-norguet-and-alias-for-mcdonalds/#commentsMon, 19 Nov 2012 19:38:45 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=267854McDonald's restaurants in France will soon be kitted out with designer outdoor furniture by Patrick Norguet and Italian brand Alias. Alias collaborated with French designer Patrick Norguet to produce 18 modular elements for use outside McDonald's outlets across France. The Côme furniture collection includes chairs, tables and benches as well as a standing light, a tempered glass screen

The US fast food giant McDonald’s has chosen Alias, the historic Italian design brand, to furnish the outdoor areas of its restaurants worldwide as part of the "COME” project. Objective: to design, engineer, develop and install a specific turnkey modular furniture system. The company from Grumello del Monte has taken on this challenge with great enthusiasm, working together with the established French designer Patrick Norguet, with whom it established a highly successful relationship some time ago.

The first phase of the work will be carried out in France, with the first outdoor area already having been inaugurated in Bordeaux and a further six terraces installed in the north of the country. The entire project entails furnishing approximately 150 terraces and will be completed over the course of two to three years.

"Working in perfect harmony with the McDonald’s team and Patrick Norguet’s firm, we have succeeded in interpreting their ideas to the full: creating a personal, friendly and high quality outdoor space. A place where even a short break can provide an opportunity to relax and unwind. The plastic elegance and formal purity of each complement - a unique aspect of the designer’s style - are enhanced by the power and simplicity of the materials skilfully worked by Alias," states the CEO and architect Renato Stauffacher.

The result is a modular furniture system open to numerous different yet coherent configurations, where small islands of greenery alternate with windscreens, tables of different dimensions and ergonomic, comfortable seating: 18 different elements, developed by Alias thanks to its years of experience in residential and community outdoor furniture, offering strong resistance, durability and easy maintenance.

Severe and highly contemporary sheet steel and cement are combined by means of expert techniques, then skilfully moulded to offer a sensation of comfort. In the seating, for example, the perforated sheet metal body which rests on the concrete base offers a gently pulsating surface which renders it immediately inviting and welcoming.

Alongside the seats, with and without arms, the benches and two-person tables consist of a cast concrete base and sheet metal top. The cement surfaces have all been sanded by hand, ensuring the highest possible levels of resistance to atmospheric agents. The four and six-person tables have a steel base. The windscreens are made from tempered and layered screen-printed glass.

There are also plans to build two roofs to provide shelter in the event of bad weather, outer barriers with an aluminium framework, lighting, steel ashtrays and bins with a Corian top to enhance the design, and a trio of flower pots with an attractively irregular shape.